Wednesday, June 27, 2012

With friends coming over for dinner last night, I wanted to make something special with the 2 lbs. of crawfish tails that I had stashed in my freezer. Here's a family favorite that is "out of this world" delicious and is sure to please your family and guests. It is packed with wonderful flavors in a spicy sauce that compliments the pasta perfectly, has just the right amount of heat, and less calories than the cream version of this dish. Cest bon, cher! Enjoy!

Here is a pic of my fresh parsley and thyme that I am growing on my patio this summer. I am also growing Creole tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers, and will be sharing some recipes that will include those, soon. There really isn't anything quite like fresh herbs and tomatoes, for cooking up a great dish.

Prepare pasta according to directions on package, and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mix well, and place in a large serving bowl.

In a medium, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add flour and whisk until a blond roux forms, (about 8 to 10 minutes) and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet and add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and celery and cook
about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Here's a little clip of Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, rockin the crowd at the Strawberry Park Crawfish Festival. Grab a cold drink, and crank it up for this one cher, and let the good times roll! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Friday, June 22, 2012

With Louisiana strawberries in full harvest, I couldn't resist making a pan of this scrumptious strawberry bread pudding. Fresh, ripe strawberries in a creamy, bread pudding with a yummy, caramel bourbon sauce. Well, when I tell you that it's fabulous, then you know that I mean it, cher! Wonderful for breakfast, too, with a good strong cup of coffee. Enjoy!

In small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugars, extract, and spices, until well blended.
Place bread pieces in a large bowl and pour egg/milk
mixture over bread, tossing gently to mix well. Fold in the strawberries and pour the mixture into a buttered 13x9 inch baking dish. Place baking dish in a larger baking pan filled with 2 inches of water. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving and serve with caramel bourbon sauce. (recipe below)

I was recently surprised and honored to receive the Sunshine Award. This very special award was passed on to me byTerry, from RV Life and Food. Her fabulous blog is filled with great recipes and interesting stories about life in an RV. Please pay her a visit when you have time. Merci beaucoup for presenting me with this great award, cher!

The Sunshine Award is an
award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The recipients of the
Sunshine Award are: "Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire
others in the blogosphere." The way the award works is this: Thank the
person who gave you the award and link back to them. Answer 10 questions
about yourself. Select 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs
to your post and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine
Award! Don't forget to post the award on your blog!

Here we go! Ten questions:

1. Favorite color: Red

2. Favorite animal: Cat

3. Favorite number: 2

4. Favorite drink: Margarita

5. Facebook or Twitter: Neither

6. Good Book or a Good
Movie: Good Book

7. My Passion: Dancing to Cajun Music

8. Giving or getting
presents: Giving

9. Favorite day of the
year: My Birthday

10. Favorite flowers: Sunflowers

The 10 blogs that I am presenting the Sunshine Award to, in no particular order:

Friday, June 15, 2012

It's that time of year again to honor our fathers and show them how much we appreciate them. I am planning to prepare a Father's Day spread that consists mostly of my Dad's all time faves, plus a few of his new ones. He has requested that this year's Father's Day menu be an all seafood menu and being a seafood lover, myself, I am more than happy to oblige. And here is a recipe for one of his favorite desserts that I will be making. Sinfully good and worth the calories, cher! Enjoy!

Banana Split Pie

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tbs. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large bananas, sliced

2 cans crushed pineapple, drained

2 quarts fresh strawberries, trimmed and sliced

Topping

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Garnish

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Chocolate syrup, if desired

Maraschino cherries

Combine the crumbs, butter, and sugar and press into an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish. Chill for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over crust and chill for 30 minutes. Layer with bananas, pineapple, and. strawberries.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

With summer in full swing in Cajun country, I've kicked my grilling recipes into high gear. Grilling is so easy and keeps the heat out of the kitchen. I usually grill batches of chicken, seafood, and veggies on the weekends, and freeze left over portions in freezer bags, for use in week night dinners. Here are two of my family's favorite grilled chicken recipes that have a Caj-Mex flavor. They are out of this world and sure to please. Bon appetit!

Place all marinade ingredients in large zip lock bag. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. Drain and place directly on medium hot grill and grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Great with my Creole Garden Pasta Salad and garlic bread. What could be easier!

And here's another family fave that I like to make with some of the chopped, grilled chicken that I keep in the freezer. Great with grilled shrimp, too. Enjoy!

Combine chicken, salsa, green onions and peppers in a large bowl. Place tortillas on a large cookie sheet and place a layer of cheese on each one. Spoon a layer of chicken mixture on each one. Top with another layer of cheese and place another tortilla on top. Brush with olive oil and place, top down, directly on medium hot grill and grill for 3 to 5 minutes. Brush with olive oil and turn and grill for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Cest bon, cher!

Bonjour and Welcome !

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About Me

Welcome to Cajun country and to my blog. I am a Cajun gal who was born and raised on the Bayou Vermilion. The area is rich in history and culture and is a very fun place to live. Fabulous cuisine, incredible music, and fun loving people with a joie de vivre, (love of life). You will learn about the Acadian French people and their culture, and best of all, you will learn how to prepare the world famous Cajun cuisine. Lassiez les bon temps rouler, cher!